Newmarket

History:
The Newmarket Branch of the ACO was formed in 2016 to defend from developers the Town’s historic downtown and its priceless Heritage Conservation District with its unrivalled vistas and panoramas. Despite passing a By-law in 2013 which mandates a three storey height cap, the Town is actively considering an out-of-place seven storey apartment building in the heart of the Heritage Conservation District, destroying at a stroke the area’s charm and ambiance.

The proposed development will overshadow the iconic Clock Tower. And historic commercial buildings adjacent to it will be demolished with only the facades being retained. The photo top left shows Main Street South in the 1940s. It has of course changed incrementally over the years but it is still recognizably the old Main Street.

If the proposed development goes ahead it will drive a coach and horses through the Town's own planning policies.

You don't have to be a member to support our Clock Tower campaign. No donation is too small. Hit the button top-centre and follow the prompts.

Update on 9 December 2016:

At its meeting on 5 December Newmarket Council threw out the proposed development, rejecting the original monstrous application and an amended version proposed by the Town's own planners. Both were grotesquely out of scale.

The Floor Space Index - which regulates the size and massing of structures on a given lot - is 1.0 in the Heritage Conservation District and in the Town's zoning by-law. The developer was proposing 2.9 (improperly using the floor area of the proposed underground car parking in his calculation) but we calculated the reality was a staggering 4.279.

How on earth did this happen?

If the proposed development had gone ahead it would have had the highest density in the whole Town of Newmarket - higher than the major corridors earmarked for intensification.

Events

2017 Meeting Schedule for ACO OntarioJanuary 30, 2017 to December 30, 2017Schedule of Executive and Council Meetings for 2017. Please open the attached pdf to see the full schedule. This document will be revised periodically as dates and locations are confirmed.

News

ACO EXPRESSES SUPPORT FOR BILL C-323Bill establishes tax credits for rehabilitation of historic propertiesACO supports Private Member's Bill C-323, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act (Rehabilitation of Historic Property), which will receive second reading in the House of Commons on February 10. This bill will establish a tax credit for expenses related to the rehabilitation of a historic property. It also establishes a tax deduction for the capital cost of property used in the course of such a rehabilitation.

Call for Nominations: ACO Provincial Heritage Awards Deadline for nominations: August 23, 2017Architectural Conservancy Ontario is now receiving nominations for its 11th annual Heritage Awards, honouring preservation leaders, projects and initiatives that have contributed significantly to architectural conservation in Ontario.

MP Peter Van Loan Proposes Tax Credits for Heritage PropertiesNational Trust for Canada is organizing ResponseMP Peter Van Loan has introduced a Private Members Bill proposing Income Tax Credits to assist private owners of heritage property with restoration costs. This is good news for heritage, whether or not it passes as widespread support for the initiative may result in either passage or a similar bill from government.
National Trust for Canada is organizing heritage organizations across the country. ACO's Policy Committee will be developing a formal response from ACO.